Cover for electric-conduit outlet boxes



June 1' 1926.

J.-T. PEARSON in AL COVER FOR ELECTRIC CONDUIT OUTLET BOXES Filed April 17, 1922 AT TORNEYS Patented June 1, 1926.

barren rarest orrics JOHN T. PEARSON AND RAYMOND I-I. OLLEY, SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS T0 CEOUSE-I-IINDS COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE,

YORK.

NEYV YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW COVER FOR ELECTRIC -OONBUIT OUTLET BOXES.

Application filed April 17, 1922. Serial No. 553,789.

This invention has for its object a cover forconduit outlet boxes of the type set forth in our Patent afl,525,689, February 10, 1925 having self-contained means for attaching the cover to the box, which means is par ticularly simple in construction, economical in manufacture, and highly etlicient and durable in use. 7

lhe invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and construetions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate parts in all the views. 7

Figure 1 is a plan View of this cover, the same being shown as applied to'a conduit outlet box.

Figure 2 is an inverted plan of the cover.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3, Fig. 1

l designates the box which is provided with one or more nipples 2 for connecting the box in an electric conduit system, the body of the box being shown in the form of a conduit and having opposing flat or parallel sides 3 which bound an elongated opening l in one side of the box.

5 is a cover for closing the opening 4.

Heretofore, such covers have been connected to the boxes by screws which thread into lugs or bosses projecting from the walls 3. These lugs or bosses interfere greatly with the manipulation of the wires and the making of electric connection and joints as the distance between the walls as 3 is necessarily confined.

Our cover is provided with self-contained means for attaching it to the box without the use of project-ions, lugs or bosses.

This attaching means comprises a single locking member carried on the inner face of the cover and movable toward one edge thereof into and out of position to engage the inner face of one of the walls 3, and a plurality of actuating members coacting with the single locking member at spaced apart points, the actuating members extending through the cover and being operable from the outer side thereof.

The side margins of the cover preferably k edges 6 of the walls 3 or a gasket .terposed between the be the corresponding 7 and the locking member is set in from the edge o' the cover.

This attaching means also comprises a plurality ol'should rs fixed to the inner face of the cove and inset from one edge thereof in position to enga e the inner face of the othe wall 3 opposite to that engagedby the locking member.

l e shoulders are preferably provided on the ends of transverse strips arranged edgewise relatively to the cover and parallel to each other, the locking member is a Wedge coacting with the inner ends of the strips and the attaching means serves to move the locking member toward a cover, and during such movementowing to the Wedging action of the locking member against the strips said member is thrust outwardly against the inner face of the wall 3 of the box so that this single locking member together with the shoulders binds the cover to the box.

designates the strips, like ends 8 of which are inset from one edge of the cover and serve as shoulders for engaging the inner faces of one of the walls 3. These strips are secured to the cover in any suitable man ner as by angularly extending arms 9 ex tending through the cover and spun over or riveted at their upper ends at 10 on the outer face of the cover. 7

l Vhen the cover is. of insulating material as composition or porcelain, the strips are partially imbedded in the cover and the arms 9 may extend partway or .wholly through the cover.

11 is the single locking member which is, a bar extending from one strip to the other, the strip 7 and the bar 11 having cam, as inclined cam faces 12, 13 which act to thrust the opposite ends of the member 11 outwardly into engagement with the inner face of the wall 3 of the box opposite the Wall 3 engaged by the shoulders 8.

The actuating means forthe single looking member as here illustrated, comprises screws 14 extending through the openings 15 in the cover and threading into the opposite end portions of the locking member in line with the strips 74 The hole 15 for each screw is large enough to permit the movement outwardly of the locking member 11 Without tilting of the screw or tie locking ineinl the head of the screw is large enough to cover the opening 15 in all positions of the locking member 11. 7

Usually, the shoulders 11 are inclined and also the outer face of the locking member 11 is inclined, and likewise the margins of the inner faces of the walls 3 are underbevelled so that when the screws are tightened, the shoulders 8 and the locking member are interlocked with the cover and not merely frictionally engaged therewith.

The cover is placed on the box to close the opening 4 and the screws 14 tightened. During tightening of the screws the cam faces 12, 13 engage each other thrusting the cover in one direction to bind the shoulders 4 on one wall 3 of the box and the locking member thrust in the other direction to bind it on the inner face 3 of the other wall of the box, thus, the cover is held in position by locking means and this means does not require any increased thickness of the walls of the box, or lugs or projections on the box, so that all thespace confined between the walls of the box is available to the workman formanipulating the wires and making connections, joints, etc.

The cover, may if desired, be provided with one or more openings for the outlets of the wires.

What we claim is The combination with a shallow conduit outlet box formed with an opening in one side flanked by substantially plain side walls and also having inlet openings for wires and for connection in a conduit system, of a cover for the opening having means on its inner side extending into the opening of the box and opposed to the margins of the walls confining said opening, said means being arranged out of line with said wire openings of the box, whereby the wires have unobstructed passage in the box and said means do not interfere with the passa e of the wires, said means comprising spacec apart shoulders for engaging one of the side walls, a laterally extensible single wedge member arranged to engage the opposite side wall of the box and spaced apart surfaces arranged to coact inclined plane fashion with said wedge member near the ends thereof to extend said member laterally against the other wall of the box and screws extending through the cover from the outer side thereof and threading into the wedge member near its ends and operable to bring said wedge member into snug engagement with the wall of the box when the screws are tightened.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto signed our names, at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, and State of New York, this 29th day of March, 1922.

' JOHN T. PEARSON.

RAYMOND H. OLLEYV 

